Imani Showalter

Aloha Basketball Wives L.A.! The ladies head to paradise and drama was not far behind. Jackie encourages Imani to confront Laura…but when she does, I’m guessing Jackie wishes she had kept her mouth shut. There’s about to be a coup amongst the group — after a successful surfing lesson.

The sisters Govan are shopping for swimwear to take on their upcoming trip to Hawaii. Laura quickly runs down her take on the ladies. She thinks after her talk with Jackie, things are straight between them. Her friendship with “Iman” has gone from a ten to a cool two, and don’t even get her started on Draya. Gloria hopes they can all have a lighthearted good time. Good luck with that.

Across town, Imani is hiring movers to rid her garage of all of Laura’s belongings. Imani had agreed to let her store some things when she moved back to Los Angeles, but now that she’s heard that Laura has been talking smack about her she’s no longer going to be her free storage unit.

In a recent interview, Jackie speaks out about the “misconception.” She says, “The biggest misconception is that we are mean and bullies, and we don’t like Draya, but that is not true. We all have something to offer; it’s a lot of judging that goes on, especially because of the way things seem on TV. But once you get to know us as a whole, we all are not bullies and are caring, compassionate women. But we are not bullies—we all are really good people once you get to know us.” Say it one more time and people may just start to believe it!

Of the infamous scene, Jackie, like all reality veterans before her, blames editing for creating a situation that appeared to have all the ladies ganging up on Draya. Jackie explains,“See a lot of people didn’t get to see everything that was being discussed. It comes off like I was being a bully, and it seemed as though we were all just coming down on her, but there were a lot of things that was edited out. Draya wasn’t crying from what I was saying to her.”

She continues, “A lot of things were talked about and said throughout the whole conversation, and yes, I am crazy about my husband, but who wouldn’t be? But I wasn’t just saying it to Draya in a way that came off to be aggressive, even though that is how it may have appeared. Yes, I do have a strong personality, but I also am a loving and caring person.”

Finally, moving on from the Draya drama, Jackie addresses her missing cast mates, Kimsha Artest and Tanya Williams. If you recall, it has been SEVERAL episodes since we’ve laid eyes on those women. Despite a fake facebook page hurling accusations that Shaunie O’Neal orchestrated their absence, both women claim they left on their own because they didn’t like the way their cast members were behaving constant drama.

However, Jackie says we shouldn’t count Kimsha and Tanya out for good yet. She reveals, “I like both of them. I do miss their presence on the show—they are going to come back on a few of the future episodes. We stopped filming now, but they did do a lot of filming separate from myself, because a lot of times we don’t film together. But I do like both of them; I would love to see them be a part of the show again in the future.”

Switching gears from Los Angeles to Miami, recently Royce Reed of the original Basketball Wives claimed she was leaving the show. Once again heading to Twitter to track her career decisions, Royce has changed her tune and decided to return for season four.

Roycetweeted, “Well, As stated last week pertaining 2 BBW season 4 tht things may change and after SEVERAL conversations I have decided 2 return for Season 4. How much, I don’t know because I won’t compromise my career. I was NEVER cut/fired and my decision to return is solely based on negotiations, and messages from my fans. I love y’all and u will see a different side of me Season 4. #ImOuttie”

While many of her fellow cast mates have threatened not to film with Royce, she did receive some love from Tami Roman, who responded, “OK, I don’t know whether 2hug u or smack the ish outta u-girl don’t take me on emotional roller coaster LOL-welcome back :)”

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF JACKIE’S INTERVIEW? IS SHE A BULLY? ARE YOU EXCITED ROYCE WILL BE RETURNING TO BASKETBALL WIVES: MIAMI? DO YOU THINK SHE WAS EVER REALLY GOING TO LEAVE?

As always, the latest installment of Basketball Wives: L.A. was basically the ladies talking smack about whoever wasn’t in that given scene. Unfortunately for Laura Govan, her name seems to be tossed around the most. Her sister Gloria heads up a charity golf tournament with fiance Matt Barnes, and Draya gets more comfortable with her spot in the “in-crowd.”

We resume last night’s episode where we left off, at Malaysia’s jewelry launch. Malaysia is over Jackie’s gushing, and she really doesn’t want to hear her and Imani’s beef with Laura. As Malaysia advises the ladies talk it out, Gloria (who Jackie and Imani just lurve) comes over to say hello. Of course, Jackie takes this opportunity to tell her nemesis’s SISTER about her issues with Laura. Jackie has also turned on her biffle Draya and wants to make sure Gloria feels badly for bringing her into the group. Seriously? Cue Lindsay Lohan and the Plastics!

On last night’s episode of Basketball Wives: L.A., Jackie played puppet master while Draya tried to keep her in check. Malaysia previewed her jewelry line, and Gloria contemplated her upcoming (maybe? maybe not?) marriage to Matt. Laura did her best to dodge Jackie’s tirades, and Imani…well, she showed up for the last five minutes.

Jackie is confiding in Draya about how Laura has been talking badly about Jackie behind her back. Given that the ladies are all at Laura’s charity event, Jackie doesn’t want to start anything, but she wants Laura to know she’s on to her. Malaysia arrives and can tell that Jackie is upset about…something.

Of course, with Jackie’s ever changing personalities, the ladies are probably used to that. Laura praises Jackie on her outfit, and Jackie politely accepts her compliment with a pointed, “Thanks, you don’t think it makes me look pregnant, do you?” There are a few more pregnancy snarks from Jackie who is pulling up her shirt to show her belly, and Laura looks a tad uncomfortable while the other girls just look plain confused. Apparently, Laura has been dogging Jackie’s fashion sense, weight, and hair all over town. Um, what’s that whole pot/kettle/those who live in glass houses saying? I doubt we’ll ever see either of these ladies on a best dressed list.

Last night’s episode of Basketball Wives: L.A. was just a whole bunch of lunch. The ladies were meeting up left and right to gossip over whoever wasn’t invited to restaurant…and nine times out of ten, that person was Draya.

Imani and Malaysia meet for lunch. Draya has reached out to Malaysia, and Imani teases that the two will be new BFFs. Malaysia is unsure as to why Draya wants to meet up with her. Sure, she was compassionate about her situation, but that hardly means she wants to be buddy-buddy. Imani thinks it is Draya’s way of being manipulative.

Gloria heads to an audition for Cedric the Entertainer’s new show. Her first reading is dubbed “a practice round,” and Gloria says it’s hard to act as if she’s flirting with her crush when she is reading with an older woman. She is praised on her second go-round, but I don’t know if this is the kind of publicity Cedric the Entertainer was hoping for with his new endeavor.

Dare I say these women are rivaling their Miami counterparts? Last night’s Basketball Wives: L.A. was a flurry of pot stirring and dirt digging with a heaping helping of bullying. Geez…what are these women hoping to teach their children?

The fight between Laura and Draya isn’t nearly as dramatic as the previews promised, although both women end up on the mat. After the cage match, Draya feels a weird vibe, as everyone is being light and friendly when clearly Laura was on a vendetta against her. Not wanting to tempt fate, a chipper Draya calls it a day. The other ladies are amazed at how unfazed she seems, not to mention she didn’t back down at all during the match. Laura just looks at what happened as another day, another mixed martial arts cage fight. She says that if she had wanted Draya to feel her “raft,” Draya totally would have been blown away by her “raft.” Her “raft” is frightening. What is frightening is that she is confusing an inflatable water apparatus with “wrath.” Good gracious.

On last night’s Basketball Wives: L.A., Imani and Laura need action, Malaysia designs baby bling, and the sisters Govan can’t wait for Draya to get in the ring…literally.

After the wedding, everyone heads to the clerb to celebrate with the happy couple. Gloria remarks that she thinks Jackie and the girls are taking it hard that Draya was a no-show. Um, why? They all seem to pretty much dislike her, but whatevs. They can’t focus on that when Imani starts crying to Jackie about how lonely she feels and how she’s given up on love. Crying to the bride after her wedding. Sounds like someone is trying to steal some wedding thunder, and now Imani is the center of attention. No one seems to mind, though, and the ladies group-hug it out.

On last night’s episode of Basketball Wives LA, it was the wedding of the year for Jackie and Doug Christie. Literally, as they marry every. flipping. year. Gloria’s players get waxed on the court, while Draya just gets waxed, and Imani forges a friendship with Malaysia.

Laura Govan and Jackie Christie meet for an afternoon cocktail, because that seems to be the staple gathering for the L.A. wives/pseudo-wives/girlfriends/exes. Jackie admits to Laura that in addition to the fifteen (with one to grow on) weddings she’s had with Doug, she was married three times prior to him. Jackie wants Laura’s self-confidence to grow after her recent split, and she hopes telling her of the three men who walked down the aisle before Doug’s fifteen times will help Laura realize that the right man is out there for her.